432 



BEPORT 1889. 



Females. 



from the two previoas measurements at each decade of life, is interesting 

 and instructive. 



In these tables the ages, for example, from 20 to 30 include all up 

 to 30 years, but persons of 30 years are classed in the next group. The 

 maximum difference between the vital capacity of the lungs of males and 

 females is between the ages of 20 and 40 yeai-s, after which the decline in 

 the males is regular and successive, while there is less falling-ofF of the 

 respiratory powers as age advances in the females. More observations 

 are necessary before it can be determined whether this variation is due to 

 the respiratory powers of the males failing, as life advances, more rapidly 

 than those of females, or is the result of some other cause operating in 

 women to prevent the full development of respiratory powers between the 

 20th and 40th years of life, particularly between 20 and 30 years. The 

 fact that the vital capacity of the lungs between these years is less both 

 actually and relatively to the stature than in young females between 15 

 and 20 years, while in males the reverse obtains, would tend to show 

 that the latter hypothesis may be the correct explanation of the variation. 



Colour Sense. 



The test for appreciation of colour was to mark off four different shades 

 of green wool which were mixed with various other coloured wools by 

 placing pegs opposite each green wool. This test was satisfactorily 

 performed by all the persons examined, so that no case of colour-blindness 

 was observed. At the previous meeting only one person was found to be 

 colour-blind — a gentleman of Jewish race, among whom colour-blindness 

 is somewhat prevalent. 



Judgment op Eye. 



The tests of dividing a line into two and three parts of equal length 

 and of marking off a right angle, in other words, placing a line per- 

 pendicular to a horizontal line, being easy, were fairly accurately done by 

 both sexes. Marking off an angle of 60° proved a much more difficult 

 task, and accuracy was attained by very few. 



In dividing a line in half the female eye showed itself to be absolutely 

 correct in ten per cent, more instances than the male, or, in actual figures, 

 35-6 per cent, of the males performed this test without error, while the 

 same was done by 45-5 per cent, of the females. In 58-9 per cent, of the 

 males the error amounted to 1 per cent., or a tenth of an inch ; the same 

 amount of error was found in 43-2 per cent, of the females. An error of 



